Let us read it for you. Listen now. Your browser does not support the audio element.
"Everybody loves bugs, dude!" Candy Lee exclaimed to her 5-year-old while answering why she writes so many songs about bugs.
While talking with What's Up! about her soon-to-be released Backyard Bugs 2 album, Lee's youngest son occasionally, and enthusiastically, chimes in to help mom with questions about her soon-to-be released Backyard Bugs 2 album and CD release party on May 28 at The Medium. The free kids concert starts at 4:30 p.m. with new songs about bugs and other her favorites from her collection of kids songs.
"My seven-year-old is too cool for them, but my five-year-old loves them," she says of her bug songs. The new album include ants, leaf bugs, butterflies, roly-polies (Armadillidium) and a nod to music's Queen Bee (Beyoncé) with "Bugs Run the World."
"It's a song about how bugs are in the background doing all the work that makes the planet happen," explains Lee. In addition to songs about bugs, her YouTube channel, Candy Lee Kids, includes songs about emotions, a song about patterns, another about opposites and even a video on how to make playdough at home.
Her kids songs are like her solo music, sung in a Dolly Parton-esque twang over an acoustic guitar, but include many other instruments. It's not the run-of-the-mill, Cocomelon kids' music. Lee is a longtime singer songwriter, known around Northwest Arkansas for her solo music and as part of the duo, Melody Pond. Her style leans toward country and Americana with a wide array of rhythmic influences. Lee has released three albums of music for grown ups, she says, and hopes to release more in the future. (In the meantime, her album The Gate is available at Fayetteville Public Library.)
She says she got into playing music "late" picking up the guitar in college for as part of a project for a public speaking class.
"We had to try something for the first time and make a presentation about it," she says. She'd been a choir girl -- even achieving a spot in honors choir -- while growing up in Fort Meyers, Fla., and had written song lyrics. The guitar opened her up to write even more, she says.
"When I got to Fayetteville in 2007 I was encouraged by a lot of local musicians to pursue [music] and get out there," she adds. "The music community is really great in that way that we lift each other up."
She released her first Backyard Bugs album in 2023 on Crisp Recording, where she returned for the second Backyard Bugs album.
"I feel like the first album was very pretty, and this album is high energy craziness, super fun."
"Backup bugs" include Joe Credit on mandolin, Michael Schembre on fiddle, Garrett Jones on bass and Sarah Busch on accordion and flute. For their shows and videos, the bugs dress as insects kids can find in the backyard.
"Bugs are very interesting creatures that everybody has access to," Lee says. "We don't have access to a lot of the animals that exist in nature, but everybody sees bugs every day. So if we can start appreciating these little, tiny bugs ... I'm hoping the kids will grow an appreciation for nature in general and want to take care of it."
Lee and the bugs are featured in an Entune video produced by Crisp Recording and AEnimate Media performing their latest single is "Earthworm," which Lee says has some "Latin influences and possibly some klezmer" rhythms.
Entune is a community initiative by Darren Crisp and Evan Diego Alvarado. Crisp provides professional studio production, while Alvarado provides professional video production to artists free of charge, for what they hope will evolve into a monthly project that "bridges the gap between music artists and professional studio production." Find out more about Entune in this week's music calendar.
Lee says bug costumes and butterfly wings are highly encouraged for the May 28 show. Admission is free and will feature puppets courtesy of Puppets in the Park. The latest Backyard Bugs album was made possible by an Artist 360 grant.
----
FAQ
Backyard Bugs 2 release party
WHAT -- Backyard Bugs led by singer songwriter Candy Lee and featuring mandolin player Joe Credit, bassist Garrett Jones, fiddler Michael Schrembre and Sarah Busch on accordion and flute return with more songs about how "Bugs Run The World" and performances with puppets, singalongs and costumes.
WHEN -- 4:30 p.m. May 28
WHERE -- The Medium in Springdale
COST -- Free. CDs, if available, are $8 and all songs will be on streaming services.
INFO -- backyardbugsband.com
FAQBackyard Bugs 2 release partyWHAT -- Backyard Bugs led by singer songwriter Candy Lee and featuring mandolin player Joe Credit, bassist Garrett Jones, fiddlist Michael Schrembre and Sarah Busch on accordion and flute return with more songs about how "Bugs Run The World" and performances with puppets, singalongs and costumes. WHEN -- 4:30 p.m. May 28WHERE -- The Medium in SpringdaleCOST -- Free. CDs, if available, are $8 and all songs will be on streaming services.INFO -- backyardbugsband.com